Jump to content
ATX Community

Cap and Trade: A License Required for your Home


kcjenkins

Recommended Posts

I encourage you to read the provisions of the Cap and Trade Bill that has already passed the House of Representatives and is being considered by the Senate. We are ready to join the next march on Washington! This Congress and whoever on their staffs write this junk are truly out to destroy the middle class of the USA....

A License Required for your house

Thinking about selling your house - A look at H.R. 2454 (Cap and trade bill) This is unbelievable!

Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Cap and Trade Act, you won't be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act. H.R. 2454, the "Cap & Trade" bill passed by the House of Representatives, if also passed by the Senate, will be the largest tax increase any of us has ever experienced.

The Congressional Budget Office (supposedly non-partisan) estimates that in just a few years the average cost to every family of four will be $6,800 per year. No one is excluded.

However, once the lower classes feel the pinch in their wallets, you can be sure these voters get a tax refund (even if they pay no taxes at all) to offset this new cost. Thus, you Mr. and Mrs. Middle Class America will have to pay even more since additional tax dollars will be needed to bail out everyone else. But that is how DC works now.

But wait. This awful bill (that no one in Congress has actually read) has many more surprises in it. Probably the worst one is this:

A year from now you won't be able to sell your house. Yes, you read that right.

The caveat is (there always is a caveat) that if you have enough money to make required major upgrades to your home, then you can sell it. But, if not, then forget it. Even pre-fabricated homes ("mobile homes") are included. In effect, this bill prevents you from selling your home without the permission of the EPA administrator.

To get this permission, you will have to have the energy efficiency of your home measured.

Then the government will tell you what your new energy efficiency requirement is and you will be forced to make modifications to your home under the retrofit provisions of this Act to comply with the new energy and water efficiency requirements.

Then you will have to get your home measured again and get a license (called a "label" in the Act) that must be posted on your property to show what your efficiency rating is; sort of like the Energy Star efficiency rating label on your refrigerator or air conditioner.

If you don't get a high enough rating, you can't sell. And, the EPA administrator is authorized to raise the standards every year, even above the automatic energy efficiency increases built into the Act. The EPA administrator, appointed by the President, will run the Cap & Trade program (AKA the "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009") and is authorized to make any future changes to the regulations and standards he alone determines to be in the government's best interest. Requirements are set low initialy so the bill will pass Congress; then the Administrator can set much tougher new standards every year.

The Act itself contains annual required increases in energy efficiency for private and commercial residences and buildings.

However, the EPA administrator can set higher standards at any time.

Sect. 202:

Building Retrofit Program mandates a national retrofit program to increase the energy efficiency of all existing homes across America .

Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Act, you won't be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency standards of this Act.

You had better sell soon, because the standards will be raised each year and will be really hard (i.e., ex$pen$ive) to meet in a few years. Oh, goody! The Act allows the government to give you a grant of several thousand dollars to comply with the retrofit program requirements if you meet certain energy efficiency levels. But, wait, the State can set additional requirements on who qualifies to receive the grants.

You should expect requirements such as "can't have an income of more than $50K per year", "home selling price can't be more than $125K", or anything else to target the upper middle class (and that's YOU) and prevent them from qualifying for the grants.

Most of us won't get a dime and will have to pay the entire cost of the retrofit out of our own pockets. More transfer of wealth, more "change you can believe in."

Sect. 204: OH, this one is GOOD!

Building Energy Performance Labeling Program establishes a labeling program that for each individual residence will identify the achieved energy efficiency performance for "at least 90 percent of the residential market within 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act."

This means that within 5 years 90% of all residential homes in the U.S. must be measured and labeled. The EPA administrator will get $50M each year to enforce the labeling program. The Secretary of the Department of Energy will get an additional $20M each year to help enforce the labeling program. Some of this money will, of course, be spent on coming up with tougher standards each year.

Oh, the label will be like a license for your car. You will be required to post the label in a conspicuous location in your home and will not be allowed to sell your home without having this label.

And, just like your car license, you will probably be required to get a new label every so often - maybe every year.

But, the government estimates the cost of measuring the energy efficiency of your home should only cost about $200 each time.

Remember what they said about the auto smog inspections when they first started: that in California it would only cost $15. That was when the program started. Now the cost is about $50 for the inspection and certificate; a 333% increase. Expect the same from the home labeling program.

Sect. 304:

Greater Energy Efficiency in Building Codes establishes new energy efficiency guidelines for the National Building Code and mandates at 304(d), Application of National Code to State and Local Jurisdictions, that 1 year after enactment of this Act, all state and local jurisdictions must adopt the National Building Code energy efficiency provisions or must obtain a certification from the federal government that their state and/or local codes have been brought into full compliance with the National Building Code energy efficiency standards. So you thought the States had Rights? Silly you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>>Silly you!<<

What a waste of government resources! Obviously the only long-term solution to national energy problems is voluntary compliance and the free market system. We've had a good 50 years of high public consciousness of these issues, which emphasizes the long-term nature of that solution.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Exactly! People look at engergy cost just like everything else, will the savings justify the cost? If it is cheaper to heat a drafty house, than it is to make it less drafty, then they will usually not spend the money. But when they buy new windows, they will probably look for the best ratings, but still balance energy issues against pocketbook issues. To say that you MUST have your house measured, and have a 'Label' before you can market it, is a lot different from offering a system where you can CHOOSE, as a marketing tool, to get your house rated. Most new construction today is way more energy effeicient that the old methods were. But it should still be OUR CHOICE, not some unelected bureacrat in DC ordering us to get this Lable, or else!

This bill puts incredible power into the hands of someone who does not even have to stand for election. Not that I'd want it even if we got to elect them, but it's even worse when we can't even fire them! The head of the EPA serves at the pleasure of the President. If you like this President, you probably did not like the last one. Who knows who will like the next one. Just think about that when you think about giving this much power to any one person.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>>Liberal Fascism<<

The thing that most amazes me about these arguments (I mean, besides the mindless repetition of slogans and talking points) is the willful blindness to the reality of our political system. Do you really believe Congress pays any attention to Earth First and the Sierra Club and the rainbow coalition of eco-freaks? In my observation, Democrats and Republicans and Independents all have the same corporate constituency. So in spite of all the political rhetoric, all they really care about is WHO has the idea, not what the idea is.

Last year here in California we got the "cool car" initiative. That's a fun name for a requirement that all new cars have sun-reflecting windows, supposedly to reduce air conditioning and global warming and other buzz words. How many corporations do you suppose control that patent, and what would you guess about its campaign contributions?

Of course, the auto makers started screaming about jobs or something, but nobody listens to the Great Evil (though we all keep two or three of their products on hand). So they got some other power lobbyists to make the case--let's see, the windows interfere with cell phones, which we love almost as much as our cars. And, oh yes, the cops say they won't be able to pick up signals from felons' ankle monitors! Which side goes for the most bizarre emotional appeal?

Now take that corporate greed out of the street and into our kitchens, out of the state and all across the country, out of new manufacturing and covering all sales, out of one post office box and serving the holders of hundreds of construction technology patents and licenses--then blame it all on some bureaucrats--that's HR 2454. Fascism yes, liberal no. Not a liberal in sight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

<snip> Fascism yes, liberal no. Not a liberal in sight.

Liberal USED to mean someone who supported individual liberty.

But now we're getting to some place we can agree on -- so here's a couple different ones for you. R. J. Pestritto, "American Progressivism: A Reader" and (same author) "Woodrow Wilson and the Roots of Modern Liberalism".

Democrat or Republican -- it's all the same. Who has bought whom, and for how much this time? They are BOTH in the business of gathering as much power and control for themselves, to push their own agenda. And that agenda has nothing to do with "the greater good" or "equality" or "protecting the planet" -- or any other pseudo-sincere-sounding drivel they can abuse to cover the true agenda -- which is increasing the power and control centered in a political elite, who in turn owe their allegiance to their funding sources. Certainly not to us or the the Constitution they swore to "preserve, protect, and defend".

Winston Churchill said, "With integrity, nothing else matters. Without integrity, nothing else matters." There is almost NO integrity in our so-called "leaders" OR in the lobbies and special interests that fund them. Allowing them to take more power is madness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

>>Liberal USED to mean someone who supported individual liberty. <<

Funny thing--that's what Conservative USED to mean too. Now both terms describe the same people, just using whichever set of talking points is most likely to stir up our fears in a very fearful world. Because of course the more fearful we are, the more we beg Daddy to protect us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are not all the same, but way too many of them, on both sides, are very similar. Sure there are a few who actually stand on principle, and honor the Constitution. But many Republicans, I'm sad to say, are also big government, nanny-state supporters, just not as extreme about it as the current over-the-top leaders of the Democrats. There is not nearly as MUCH difference as there needs to be.

Hopefully, however, these huge power grabs the current leadership is trying will be enough to wake up the voters for a while. Yes, the pols listen more to the lobbyists than to us, but much of that is because we let them. If we do not hold them responsible, then it is just sensible for them to listen to the $$$. But all the $$$ in the world will not get them re-elected if we actually get mad enough and fire a bunch of them. We still have the power of our votes, [so far] and if the majority of people get mad enough to actually use that power, we will regain the attention and respect of the pols. Keeping their jobs is the primary goal of most all of them. If we show them that ignoring our wishes will lose them the job, they will change their behavior.

Personally, for me, this Cap & Trade bill is so far over the top that I will do absolutely everything in my power to stop it, and to defeat any politician who supports it. It's totally outrageous that anyone else has the audacidy to think that they can tell me whether or not I can sell my house. Or tell me what I have to do with or to my house.

By the way, I just filled out my Census form. Anyone else who resents being asked about Race? I marked 'Other' and filled in Human in the blanks. That is the only 'race' that should matter to our government, dang it!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are not all the same, but way too many of them, on both sides, are very similar. <snip>

We have Party 1/Big Government plus taxes with Social Agenda 1, and Party 2/Big Government plus (very slightly lower) taxes, and Social Agenda 2.

By the way, I just filled out my Census form. Anyone else who resents being asked about Race? I marked 'Other' and filled in Human in the blanks. That is the only 'race' that should matter to our government, dang it!

Census info:

What is required

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you, Tilt, for that. I should have checked it out before I posted, but I'm tired, and when I read that it just started my blood boiling. I know better than to just fire off without checking, but last night I just fired away.

While I still object strenuously to the Cap & Tax bill on many other grounds, I do apologize for posting this without checking it out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...